Melbourne goes for IIFA
Ash Mehta, Ms Sandra Pupatello (Minister of Economic Development and Trade – Ontario, Canada) and Ashish Chawla
City of Melbourne is miles ahead in things Indian specially Bollywood. Commonwealth Games and the 11 Bollywood segment brought whos who of Bollywood. Mind Blowing Films have held successful Bollywood festival as well as hosting the biggest Bollywood dance class early this year with Malaika Arora Khan when hundreds of people turned up to dance to ”˜Munni Badnaam hui Darling tere Liye’. Well now Melbourne city may get the chance to host IIFA in 2012 as two young men both named Ashish were guests at this year’s IIFA held a star-studded festival in Toronto in Canada. AshishMehta and Ashish Chawla went to attend the event as delegates and see the possibility of pitching Melbourne as the next host city for IIFA Awards.
IIFA Awards are presented annually to honour artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood and celebrate the achievements of Indian cinema. The awards ceremony is held in a different country around the world every year to demonstrate and promote the international business and bilateral trade between the host city and India.
Klubsutra.com Pty Ltd ”“ Australia’s largest South East Asian Entertainment Company has been appointed by International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) to work on the feasibility of undertaking IIFA Awards weekend in October 2009. Being IIFA’s exclusive associates in Asia Pacific region, KlubSutra.com also represents IIFA’s principal owners to various public bodies and stakeholders in Australia.
Over the last two years, Mr Ashish Mehta and Mr Ashish Chawla Directors of KlubSutra.com Pty Ltd have been working with some of the top officials from Victoria Major Events Corporation (VMEC) and other government bodies to finalise a formal plan to bid to host the 2012 edition of International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards in Melbourne. Prior to the last elections in Victoria the ruling Coalition had released a Bollywood Policy to boost the state’s relations with India and Bollywood.
Victoria’s current Premier Ted Bailleu said, “Bollywood is a cultural and economic powerhouse in India and the sub-continent and Victoria can only but benefit from a much closer relationship with India’s film industry.”
The Bollywood policy included initiating a bid by the Victorian Major Events Corporation (VMEC) to gain for Melbourne the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, the Academy Awards of India and Bollywood.
Director of Investments and Development Office – Sports Culture and Tourism Partnerships from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Canada, Michael Langford said, “Government of Ontario invested US$ 12 million to host 2011 edition of IIFA at Toronto and believed to have gained direct economic impact of over US$ 100 million in tourism. The returns of holding IIFA far exceeded the expectations estimated by the Government of Ontario.”
His Excellency Mr Stefan Trofimovs, Consul General of Australia & Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Australian Trade Commission, Canada was present during the opening media conference of IIFA Awards weekend on June 23, 2011. Mr Trofimovs along with Mr Shashi Tharoor also attended FICCI Business Forums where more than 300 business leaders and companies from India and Ontario met to explore investment opportunities during IIFA’s FICCI global business forum. Mr Stefan said Australia is ready to host IIFA and was extremely impressed with the IIFA’s presentation.
Talking to the Canadian media (CNBC), Mr. Mehta and Mr. Chawla said “We are impressed how well city of Toronto has hosted the 12th IIFA event, we can only do bigger and better,” adding, “But we know when IIFA is held in Melbourne they will be the best and will help strengthen ties between India and Australia.”
For more information contact:
Mr Mehta or Mr Chawla at (03) 9040 2319
Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=779